


The Three Gods

by definition_of_desperation



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Elemental Magic, Elemental Masters, Gods, Insults, Kind of slavery? It's not really bad but others can order them around, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, also sry if this seems all over the place, and i mean he's p much the villain, elemental powers, fairy tail reference, he's a real douche, i tend to not think things through before writing, mention of rape, tags will change, the true god is terrible though, there may be some bad stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-03-09 11:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13480230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/definition_of_desperation/pseuds/definition_of_desperation
Summary: In this world, there are three kinds of Gods."Let me go! Please, I beg of you!" cried out Kai, but he didn't try to fight. Taken Gods could not fight."I'll help you. Taken Gods have done nothing wrong." Cole was so gentle, so kind. Jay was stuck, again. The first Taking God he had ever seen, and he was kinder than what he'd been told."Give them a good punishment. And for his earlier tantrum, give Montgomery a forty-eight." What you see and hear might not be true. There is a True God, but there is no truth about his kindness.





	1. Two Beds

In this world, there are three types of gods. The Taken Gods, the Taking Gods, and the True God. Kai, one of the Taken Gods, was a man with special powers, but since he and his sister had been born to a poor family, was forced into a bad life, making him essentially a slave to the Taking Gods, the True God and even just the people. His sister, Nya, was in the same position. However, as a woman, she had control over him. They were two of the three Taken Gods he knew. The last was the son of the True God. It was a mystery as to why he was a Taken God, but no one questioned the True God's decision. He was never wrong, never did anything bad, only wanting what's good for people.

But Kai knew it wasn't so. He had met His son; a brave, kind man had once visited Four Weapons, asking for some food and a night to stay there. Nya had instantly showed kindness to him, though it was clear that he was a God as well. His hands were dark violet, his eyes red and his face almost white. He was oddly calm.

"... For someone who just ran away from the True God." Kai's arms were crossed when Garmadon's eyes shot to him.

"It's not like you'll get in any trouble for it. I will be gone by tomorrow. By one second past midnight, if you so wish. I simply don't want to stay in the storm," said Garmadon, still undisturbed. Kai glanced outside, frowning at the dark, but completely clear sky. What storm?

And then lightning struck, though there were no clouds. It was another God, Kai knew. He was close, and after a few more flashes and a heated glare between the two males at the table, they shot up and started running. Kai grabbed his samurai gear while Garmadon simply ran off towards the source of the lightning. A new God. Or is that a Goddess? Garmadon couldn't tell. But he'd assumed this one to be a weather type, which meant rain, hail, snow, etc. This God only had lightning.

"Lightning isn't an element..." He found himself muttering, just as the prayer had ended. The God had collapsed from the sudden loss of energy, unconscious.

Kai had caught up to him surprisingly quickly. "Says the master of Darkness."

"This is another Taken God... We must get them to rest."

"No can do. I don't have another bed. It's already one too many if you stay with us. We only have two beds in total."

"I can sleep on the ground. Much more comfortable than back home, too. Father does not show mercy." Despite being so skinny, Garmadon had no problem picking up the Lightning God. The person was small and malnourished. Just a child. How desperate had he been?

"No guest sleeps on the ground. Nya would kill me if I allowed that to happen." Kai followed Garmadon as he began to walk back to the shop.

"Then I hope you will not be mad if I share a bed with whoever this is."

"That's just creepy. They're just a child, and you're... What? Four hundred?"

"Just over two thousand, actually. I'm not going to do anything, though. There is nothing to worry about. I would never stoop as low as He would..."

"He?"

"Doesn't matter."

The topic was dropped, and silence overtook as the two reached the shop. Kai guided Garmadon to his room so the Lightning God could sleep there. Kai kept staring at them, trying to figure out something. He wasn't sure what, but he just needed to know.

"Do you have any bandages?" It was Garmadon who broke the silence, and Kai looked up at him in surprise. Mouth slightly ajar, he nodded slowly and moved to take the bandage rolls from his medical kit. "Rubber or cloth?"

"... Rubber, please."

"Alright."

Garmadon sat at the wooden table once he had been given the bandages, wrapping them around his hands and arms while Kai was talking to Nya. He gave a quiet hiss as he tightened the bandage. He had done wrong during his prayer, had been interrupted by the wild, and now he was cursed with two poisons. His powers were not his to control and soon, neither was his mind, which also meant his body as well. He would still exist, but he could not control any part of himself. He at least wanted to make this last trip.

* * *

When he woke up, it was already morning. Surprisingly, he was tucked in next to the Lightning God. Kai had been kind enough to (or Nya had ordered him to) take him to the bed and even covered him with the blanket. It felt so nice, to be in a bed, someone cuddled up to him. It may seem awkward, but when you're touch starved, Garmadon tried to cherish this moment. But not for too long. He got out of bed slowly, the God of Lightning not waking up. Either a deep sleeper or just so exhausted.

There were two bowls on the table along with a note. Garmadon tried to read it, eventually managing to make out what it said. Must've been Kai's writing, since Nya was much more neat about everything. She was nice... And Kai was, too, he just didn't want to show it. Garmadon wouldn't force him. He grabbed one of the bowls and started eating, trying not to make too much noise. He was almost done with his food when the Lightning God woke up. He was quiet, timid, but still somehow sure of himself.

"Where am I?"

"Four Weapons. A blacksmith shop. You passed out after your prayer, he heard you, and now you are Raijin. Your prayer was not selfish, I hope. What is your name?"

"... I'm not telling random people that. Just call me Raijin, or whatever."

"Raijin is not a name. It's Holy tongue. It means Lightning God, and you are not Holy enough to hold that as a name. Raijin is your title as a Taken God, the first Taken Raijin. Don't disgrace your Godly title any more than you already have."

"Yeah, well, I don't give a fuck. I only needed this to help my parents out. Give me a better description of where I am and I'll go back home."

"You're too tired." Garmadon's voice was softer now, more enthusiastic.

Raijin moved out of bed, over to the table, sitting next to Garmadon as the latter moved the second bowl in front of him. They sat in silence as Raijin ate, still sleepy and still upset.

The second he finished eating, a true masterpiece appeared from the doorway - the one perfect figure he had ever seen. Yes, truly amazing. This was his first stumble down the hole of love.


	2. You're Just Not It

Kai emerged from his sister's room, quietly and teasingly talking to her as he ruffled her hair. The noirette kept trying to swat his hands away, but to no avail. Jay couldn't help but stare - what beauty!

"Oh, you're both up!" Nya smiled kindly, which caused Kai to finally stop. "You could've just woken us up."

"I just woke up, so..." Raijin murmured, turning his head away a bit in case the warm air was a blush instead.

"Oh. Well, then, yeah. Got it."

"Yeesh, Nya. Good socializing skills." Kai snorted as he slightly fixed his hair.

"Like you could do better."

"I'm not saying I could do better, I'm just saying that you're not good. But, in fact, I probably could do better if I wanted to."

The bickering continued even as the two got their own breakfast started, and Garmadon pulled his hood up to block out the noise with a low growl. Raijin scooted away a bit from him, curling up on the bench. How he managed to stay balanced was a mystery. But then again, he was so tiny. Not necessarily skinny, though he did seem like he could gain a little weight, but really, he was just short. Especially next to Garmadon, who was just a damn giant.

"Where do you live? I'll send you off," Garmadon sighed, getting up. Raijin slowly stood, too, shrugging briefly. "I uh... I think I should hop by Ed 'N Edna's Crap And Junk yard first... If you can show me there, I can get home by myself..."

"Sure, whatever..."

Nya quickly stopped them before they could move. "You can't be going so soon! At least wait until we're done with out food so we can give you some food for the road. You'll need it."

"... Fine. But we have to be careful. The True God doesn't want his toys escaping." Garmadon's eyes were cold, harsh, as he stared down at Nya. He was not planning on going back, though, Nya couldn't help but think if it could really be that bad. After all, it's the True God he was running from. He was probably out of his mind, really.

She looked away, finally, moving back to Kai. As long as they wouldn't set themselves in danger, she was fine with it. Besides, it was creepy how Garmadon's eyes were so bright. It was unnatural. A light green, almost hypnotizing, and she couldn't help but keep thinking about them.

* * *

Nya fell onto the bed, onto her back, next to Raijin. It had been decided that he and Garmadon would stay there for one more day. After a quick talk with Kai, they had - though with reluctance on Kai's part - agreed that Raijin and Nya would share a bed, much to Raijin's delight. "So, you're a new God, huh?"

"I guess so... Lightning should be a good way to help my parents, too." Raijin resisted a shudder at the thought of his parents.

"Oh? Care to explain?"

"I'd rather not get into it. I'm much more interested in you."

"Well, ain't you a charmer, hmm?"

"What can I say? You've been so nice to me. Barely anyone has, before."

"Mhm. Or you're just interested in me because I'm the only girl here willing to talk to you. The farmers didn't even want to look at you. It's so obvious!" Nya huffed as she sat up, crossing her arms.

Raijin frowned. Perhaps he'd been wrong. "Look, that isn't the case. I could go for Kai, but he's nowhere as nice as you. He's... Kind of scary, honestly."

"Mhm. Sure."

The silence that followed was deafening. Raijin got up after a few minutes, moving outside. He didn't go far; he sat down just outside, looking up at all the stars. Maybe one day, he would be able to dance all around them. He knew it wouldn't really be possible, since they were so far away, but it was a dream. Just dancing among the stars...

By the time he went back inside, everyone but Garmadon was asleep, but Raijin didn't mind him, just heading straight to bed. It had been a fast day, and it was way too late, now. But he just couldn't get any sleep. Nya was taking up all the room, but as it was her bed, he couldn't complain. So, he took the floor instead. He could just say he fell off in the morning. If he even slept at all. The wood was hard and cold, so it wasn't exactly easy to fall asleep. He closed his eyes, settling onto his side to try and be comfortable. Everything was terrible...

Until he got picked up from the ground, and he wasn't even sure if he'd slept, but he jerked wildly when he realized it, almost smacking the 'abductor' in the face as he tried to identify them in the darkness.

"Shh, shh, it's just me..." Garmadon whispered in a gentle voice. He seemed to cringe at himself. "Sorry... Thought you were asleep..."

Raijin blinked at him, then calmed down a bit. "Oh... Sorry... I thought you were trying to kidnap me..."

"Yeah, I should've been a bit more careful..."

"... Do I even weigh anything to you?"

"Nope, it's like holding a couple of grapes. You're tiny and skinny, so..."

"Eh... Fair."

Raijin sighed softly as finally, he was placed onto a bed. It was Kai's bed, but that didn't matter. "Where will you sleep?"

"I can go three days without sleep and only then will I really need to sleep. I do it every night just to pass time. I'll be fine."

"Oh... Well, yeah, you're the son of the True God... You're lucky..." Raijin gave a soft smile as Garmadon instinctively pressed a soft peck to his forehead. He was so fatherly at times, it was odd.

"Mm... I guess I am, indeed..." Garmadon smiled back widely. "Get some sleep, now. Let's get you back home tomorrow. Maybe I can help you with taming your lightning, too."

"I would like that..."

"Then you need the energy for tomorrow. Sweet dreams..."

* * *

"Can I come with you two?" Kai was blunt, one hand confidently on his hip as he looked up at Garmadon. The latter shrugged, merely. "Fine with me. But I have a trip later, so don't even think about breaks every ten minutes."

"Oh, come on! Raijin's the tiny one, he's the one to be having trouble!"

"Raijin. Lightning God. Known to be full of energy. I think he'll do just fine."

"He has noodles for legs!"

"That has never stopped any of the ninety-three Lightning Gods there have been. If you wanna jog along, pack your things. We're leaving soon."

"Fine, fine."

* * *

"A Taking God, oh my...! What brings you here, sir?"

Cole felt bad for the poor lady. She must be terrified. "Oh, just stopping by. I like to travel. And... There's really no need to be so polite. I'm just a regular customer."

"Oh, but you aren't! Taking Gods are so rare here, it is a miracle to see one at all!"

"Um... If I may ask, what makes them so special? My dad never really told me about any of that stuff..."

"Well... Taking Gods are very special. They have powers unlike any other. Normal people don't have that kind of luxury. Taking Gods can get anything they want, as long as the True God allows it. He decides everything." The lady - Cole could finally read her nametag, which read 'Dilara' - made a breif pause as she poured more coffee to a bewildered customer. "Then there are Taken Gods... Taking Gods become Taken Gods if the True God decides they have done bad, or if they are born to a bad family. They have powers, too, but theirs are much weaker, and harder to control. And their prayers must be very important to themselves, or the True God will not grant them their powers. They're like slaves to everyone else, only doing harm to them is not allowed. And you can't be in a normal family and be born as a God. It's just impossible. And there are lots of different powers out there. I heard the True God has found the Lightning God recently."

"Wow... That's a lot to take in. Thanks for that. But... Can Taken Gods turn into Taking Gods?" Cole asked as he finally sat down, Dilara quickly bringing him a menu.

"Very rarely, but yes. It's been done only a few times. Why?"

Cole gave a soft amused snort. "Just in case I do something wrong, I guess. Just popped into my mind. Well, thanks, again. I hope we'll meet again after this. This seems like a nice place. Might stay around here for a while, too."

"That would be absolutely amazing, sir."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow almost 1500 words  
> also was that background character enough  
> also also if youre still confused about the whole gods thing then ask me stuff bc its late and i dunno what im doing


	3. Takes One To Bring The Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry if this fic is too dark  
> i try to give warnings when sth happens but i might forget  
> ummm in this chapter, garmie gets a bit weird and twists his body a bit but it doesn't really get too graphic  
> he also insults others and there are mentions of violence  
> don't think there's much else  
> (chapter name from the song Bruises And Bitemarks by Good With Grenades)

"Oh! What a pleasant surprise!" Cole could hear Dilara almost squeal as three men walked into the small building. He'd stayed at a nearby inn so he could enjoy the place's delicious food every day. And to think he didn't even have to pay for anything! What awful business plans they had around here.

"Hey, Dilara. Think Khan will accept a few meals with a discount as the payback?" the shortest of the brunets grinned as he spoke.

"Of course. You have a deal, Raijin. I'll bring you the menus so you can see what you want to eat," Dilara gently patted Raijin's head, then hurried away before he could smack her.

"Don't do that!" Raijin growled softly, then finally moved to a table, the other two men following and sitting at the small round table. The tallest - about as tall as Cole himself, if not even taller - was covering just about every inch of his skin with light clothing, which was a bit suspicious, but then again, some people were just paranoid to get turned into a lobster in the sun.

"She looks exactly like Nya." The middle one grumbled, looking after Dilara as she left for the kitchen.

"I mean, yeah, but she's nothing like her, personality-wise." Raijin just shrugged, humming. "Dilara is a busy woman, a bit demanding, with a good sense of humor, and quite kind to men that try to get along with her. So, yeah."

"Geez, you were at my place for two days and you already have trauma from it? Rough."

"Oh, shush. It's not easy for me to get ladies."

"Probably because you look like a lesbian."

Dilara arrived, giving them their menus, before quickly moving over to Cole to refill his cup of coffee.

"That's it, you're paying for your own food." Raijin quickly decided.

"Wha- But I don't have any money!"

"Not my problem. I am /not/ going to be called a girl."

The tallest reached over, softly patting Raijin's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, but he didn't speak. Mute, maybe? Either way, Cole knew he was weird. Wearing sunglasses inside, even, now that he turned a bit.

"Thanks, but that was hella weird." Raijin chuckled weakly, leaning his elbow on the table and his head on his hand. He looked down at the menu. Something new? Or just the regular stuff? Eh, regular. It was way too good to say no to.

"Raijin, you weren't serious, were you? Dude, come on, I'm hungry. Be kind to me. I let you stay at my place!"

"... Oh, fine. But I don't have infinite pockets."

Cole gently cleared his throat, "I can help you guys pay, if you want. Sorry if I seem creepy. You were just too loud not to hear."

There was silence for a moment. Taking Gods were so rare to come across here, it felt like a dream once they saw the scar. Every Taking God has a scar somewhere, a green one, that would indicate their specialty. And this guy had his right across his forehead, like a large crack.

"Oh, um... There's really no need, we wouldn't have anything to give to you..." Raijin resisted getting up and just praying to the True God for this sight. He was absolutely beautiful! No wonder everyone always said Taking Gods looked amazing.

"It's for free. They won't really accept money from me, and I feel kinda bad. Everything is so much different in New Ninjago City. And the people here really could use the extra money, so..."

Without saying anything, Garmadon placed a bag onto the money. Coins. A lot of coins. "Money isn't a problem, if that's what you're wondering. We'll come through in a bad situation."

"And you didn't tell us this?!" Kai almost screeched, ready tear his own hair out.

"If you didn't know, then what do you think the answer is going to be?"

"Alright, I regret coming along. How long until we get to your place, Raijin?"

"A few more miles." Raijin replied with a groan. Too much walking...

"Why so far?"

"It's in the middle of the desert, numbskull."

"I'm going to kill you!"

"If you're gonna fight, do it outside!" Garmadon's voice rose to an almost inhuman intonation, though he didn't seem angry. Cole couldn't see his face, but his body language just didn't imply any fury.

Raijin and Kai turned away from each other slightly, then Jay sighed softly. He hesitated, before turning back to Cole. "Sorry for that..."

"Eh-? No, no, it's fine! It's normal stuff for people, I won't really judge. If anything, I get amusement out of it. It's been so long since I've seen Taken Gods. I feel like you're the most human out of anyone. Even the normal humans. So... Yeah..."

"Oh... Well, still. It's not really good to have to listen to random people shouting in the morning..."

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'll pay for your meals, too. I don't have anything to do with this money."

"Oh, um... Why, though?"

"I dunno, I feel like I need to waste some. And you guys seem like you could use the help." Cole shurgged, then, nonchalantly, looking at Raijin up and down. Yup. "Besides, you're kinda cute."

Raijin quickly turned back to his own table, face quickly hidden behind his arms, on the table. Why? Just, why?

"Raijin, don't lose your mind. Taking Gods want nothing but to see your face buried in the dirt for them." Garmadon's voice was harsh. This hadn't been advice, it was an order.

But Taken Gods had to obey, and so Raijin just ignored that, turning back to Cole, who was now smiling just a bit smugly. Soon enough, he was seated at their table, chatting away with Kai and Raijin while waiting for their food, finally having ordered. Not that Garmadon could pay much attention. No one really noticed as he gingerly removed his gloves, pulling his sleeves up as far as they went. All this black, it used to be such a beautiful green. The red eyes used to be so warm, comforting, inviting. Now a dangerous red, as if he was destined to kill everyone. Maybe he was.

After all, he had always been told to...

* * *

"I'd be lonely to travel alone now that I've met a nice bunch like you. Mind if I tag along?"

"Oh, um... They're just sending me home, after that, we're probably splitting up. It wouldn't be of much use, sorry..."

"Assuming that you don't wanna come with me, that is," Garmadon spoke quietly, eyes glued to his own hands.

"Come where? You never really said anything." Raijin shrugged, rubbing his arm with his hand.

"I dunno, yet. I'm kinda just going everywhere I possibly can. Looking for my family. They... Ran away a few years ago, to escape from someone... We lost contact after that. I just wanna find them. Though, I wouldn't expect you to really care... Sorry for bringing it up..."

"Whoa, dude... You okay...? I mean, you were so... Calm, back at Four Weapons... Then scared, out of nowhere. Then happy. And earlier you were angry as all hell, then distracted or kind of numb, and now you're pretty depressing. Are you doing alright...?"

"Yeah. I've always been moody... Part of my punishment... The forty-eight is a small dose of the venom of the Great Devourer... I've gotten a lot of it... It makes everyone slowly turn insane, power crazy, moody... Well, if you can survive for that long, that is. It starts dissolving everything in your body, and I've had surgeries about ten times now..."

"... That is just insane... Are you alright...? Does it still affect you that badly...?"

"I've been on the run for a few months now. It's not that bad, but it's pretty much permanent. So, it'd be best if I just go alone," Garmadon shrugged, humming.

"But who's gonna get you out of trouble if someone finds you, hmm?" Kai leaned over the table lazily.

"If I get in trouble, that's not your problem."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong. We're friends now, so we're gonna help."

"No, you're not. What I do is none of your business, and you would only get hurt."

"Too bad. You don't have a choice." This was Cole, and hell if he wasn't determined to help Garmadon out.

There was a brief moment of silence as Garmadon gripped his own arm, gritting his teeth at the same time. "... If you get hurt, that's your own fault."

"Fine. But if you get hurt, that's our fault, too. So let me pay and let's get moving!"

* * *

Garmadon was still holding onto his arm, almost scared, by the time they got to the junkyard. On the way, Raijin had admitted that it was actually where he lived. And it showed, as the place was just as loud as he was. There was loud, enthusiastic music coming from the speakers, though Raijin said only his parents lived there and they never had any guests. The others didn't seem to have noticed what he said, just wishing that he would shut up.

But Cole noticed. He was paying more attention to what Raijin was saying rather than looking at where he was going. That kind of also had something to do with his power, but still. He was sure he wouldn't remember much of what he'd said, but he would try. Best to know your friends soon. Raijin wasn't a loud person. He was an unheard person. Living in an isolated place with his parents being the only ones there, there was no way Raijin wouldn't feel lonely. He needed to get it all out, and he needed someone to listen.

Who knew such a tiny person could skate so well in the Ninja Roll Derby? Or that such a scatter-minded person could invent so many things? And who knew that someone so happy, energetic and full of life could so easily admit that he wanted to die, and thought that no one was listening to him ramble on and on about all the amazing things he's done?

Cole stopped, grabbing Raijin by his shoulder to make him look at him. "Hey, don't say that... I know, it feels like you're all alone, but I just happen to miss someone just talking to me."

Raijin paled, tensing as he realized what Cole was talking about. "... You did _not_ look like you were listening..."

"Well, I was. As I said, I miss having someone talk to me."

"And this is very awkward so let's just go inside, okay?"

"Alright..." With clear hesitation, Cole let go of Raijin's shoulder and everyone moved inside. Garmadon was too distracted to even notice the interaction, but Kai was just confused. He hadn't noticed what Raijin had said, so he wasn't sure what this was about.

"Jay! You're back! And you brought friends, how nice!"

Raijin gringed, then sighed. "Yeah, ma, I'm back..."

Edna was quick to hurry over, Ed right next to her. Raijin, or 'Jay' groaned as they hugged him tightly. He hugged them back, after a moment. His parents were either very worried, or he had been away for a long time.

Garmadon scooted closer to Kai for a moment, asking in a low whisper, "Isn't 'J' a letter?"

Kai looked up at him weirdly, then shrugged, replying just as quietly. "Take the letter and put 'A' and 'Y' after it, and you have a name."

"Ah... Okay... Well, at least now we can call him something other than literally just 'Lightning God'."

"Mm... Fair. But for us, I bet that seemed nothing more than just a weird name for literally everyone else."

"Whatever, it was weird for me," Garmadon crossed his arms, tightly, over his chest.

"Yeah, whatever, grumpy-pants."

"Shut it, or I'll punch your face in."

"Says the person who earlier told us to take it outside of we wanna fight."

"Because I'm did _not_ want to pay for any broken property."

"Still!"

"Just shut up already, or I _will_ kill you!"

"Guys! No fighting!" Cole frowned, pulling Kai away. "Were you not listening to him when he told us why he gets mood swings?"

"I bet that was all just a lie. There's no way something like that exists."

"Oh, I'm glad you brought that up, Kai," Jay smirked smugly, "Because I have a bookshelf somewhere and I think there's even something about it."

"Books can lie."

"But what about one written by the True God himself, hmm?"

"His book?! He's been trying to get it back for years! How'd you get it _and_ keep it hidden?" Garmadon suddenly got a lot more open, his arms falling to his sides and his back straightening.

"Oh, only with my own invention! It's in a vengestone chest. Vengestone is a substance that can cancel out any Godly powers, even the True God's. I got the book from a sketchy salesman."

"Okay, wow. I was turned into that same book. I'd been forced to learn the book by heart so that if it gets destroyed, my father still has all the information it held thanks to me."

"Are you serious?! Tell me what was on page three hundred and fifty-six!"

"It was a picture about the True Demon and the True God during the First Battle thousands of years ago. There was a little text about how father helped prolong the battle."

"So let's go check if that's actually true! Oh, and just for a little extra, on what page does the text about the Great Devourer start?"

"Five hundred and three. But the venom stuff starts two pages later."

"Okay! Come on, I can show you the book once I get the key!" Jay ran off somewhere, everyone but Ed and Edna quickly following. And boy, was Jay fast! Garmadon was the slowest, by far, having to push himself to his limits to keep up. Cole and Kai were just side-by-side, neither able to outrun the other, but they, too, started slowly losing Jay. Garmadon was almost lost, by now.

Finally, he managed to caught up, but only because Jay was looking for the key. Garmadon grabbed his own side, crouching slightly. It hurt to move...

"Uh, Jay, uh, can we... Can we take it slow now...?" Garmadon managed to squeeze out, biting his lip.

"What, a little exercise got you?" Jay snorted, not even looking back at him.

"No, I'm usually fine, just... It hurts, it really hurts...!" There were now hints of panic in his voice as he realized what was happening. "Cole, hold me down, please, hurry, it's too fast, please!"

Without question, Cole grabbed Garmadon's hands, holding them behind his back. Garmadon was struggling against himself for a few moments, and then started struggling against Cole instead as his eyes seemed to light up, bright red. It felt like if you stared into them long enough, you would quite literally die. When he finally looked up, it was clear that this was no longer Garmadon. Even Cole started struggling to keep him still. Thus, he made handcuffs from stone and with a light stomp, Garmadon's feet were secured to the ground as Cole quickly moved away a bit.

Then Garmadon started laughing, trying to tug himself free. He seemed ready to chew his feet off to get to them. "You think a little dirt will stop me? Gosh, the lot of you really are idiots!"

"Okay, this is really creepy," Jay squeaked quietly, sliding down the mountain of scrap metal and broken machines, ducking behind Cole. Having found the key, he held it to his chest protectively.

"What a coward! You're all so, so weak. Jay is afraid of his own shadow. Kai is stupid as a damn donkey. And Cole is just unbelievably unstable. Ironic, for his powers!"

"And you say things you don't mean." Cole was oddly calm for someone in this situation. "Let's just wait for this to end, so we can check the book. Maybe we'll find a way to help him."

"As long as I know, none of us are scientists. We don't know a thing about how to make anti-venoms!" Jay clung to Cole's arm, almost desperate. "Maybe we have to do something, too. And who knows how long this will last! It could take hours, or even days!"

"I guess that's t-"

Garmadon made a sound that sounded like a roar, trying to get his feet free, along with his hands. Everyone's attention was on him as he moved his arms in a seemingly inhuman way. It looked like he'd dislocated his shoulders for a moment before they popped back into place automatically. His grin only grew as the others all flinched.

"Oh, ew, gross," Kai huffed, shuddering briefly. That was one of the most disgusting things he'd ever seen.

"Oh, you're scared of seeing stuff like that? Oh, do I have a lot more of that in store for you!"

"Oh nooo, I don't want to see it!" Kai turned his head away fast, before Garmadon could do anything else. He could hear a deep chuckle from him, and he had a feeling that was much worse than what he would have seen.

"Alright, this is just awful, can't we knock him out or something? Y'know, not to hurt him, but so he wouldn't hurt himself?" Jay was uncharacteristically quiet, now. It was scary, after all.

Cole and Kai just shrugged, both uncomfortable with just hurting someone like that.

"It'd be pretty bad, though. I mean, just hitting him would probably make him bleed, and I don't even know how to use my powers, and lightning is deadly, too, and neither of you can really efficiently knock him out with your powers without hurting him."

"Ooookay, nerd, we get it. So how do we do this? The stone is sharp, and starting to cut into his skin. Do you have anything that will hold him?" Cole moved, leaving Jay behind as he held Garmadon's arms in place and had the stone crumble into pieces. "Because I'm not letting anyone lose any blood."

"Uh... I mean, I have some sleeping gas somewhere, but it will take a long time to find it. If you can hold him until then, we can use that."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"

"Cuz I didn't remember I had it!"

"Just go look for it already!"

"Fine!" And with that, Jay stormed off while Cole and Kai were forced to keep Garmadon from hurting himself or others. At some points, he slowed and his eyes seemed to dull slightly, but then he was fighting again.

It seemed like forever, and Jay still wasn't back, which made Kai frustrated. Jay got the easy job. The job that was apparently worthless, as Garmadon's eyes dulled, slowly changing the color to a shade that could best be described as gold 4. A mix between red and green.

Garmadon was exhausted, barely able to stand up, but Cole was scared to let go so soon. He was still for one second, two, and then collapsed onto Kai, who gave a surprised cry at the sudden weight.

Cole was quick to pull Garmadon off, holding the brunette against himself instead. Neither could blame him for passing out like that. Kai didn't really doubt the whole venom story anymore.

Jay finally arrived, slowing to a stop once he got to the other three. "Got out of hand?"

"No, he went back to normal for a moment, then passed out," Kai murmured, shaking his head. "Do you have a place where he could rest?"

"Mhm. There's another trailer near here that we keep for emergencies. Come on, it's right by the wall."

* * *

"So, this is the book?" Kai brushed his hand against the leather cover. It certainly seemed like any old book, but then again, it wasn't exactly ordinary.

"No, I just keep a random old book in a vengestone chest for no apparent reason. Of course it's the book!"

Thanks to Jay's sarcasm, he earned himself a smack to the head. Yeah, Kai wasn't having any of that. "So what are we actually going to gain from it other than the True God on our tails? We're so not bringing this thing with us."

"Well, first of all, we will know about the secrets of the wilderness around Ninjago. And during that, we know how to help with Garmadon's... Ahem... _Fits_. So, fuck you, we're taking the book."

"It's not gonna be worth it! The True God will have us killed once He finds out!"

"Oh, it won't be that bad. He doesn't have anything to do with it, really. If anything, Garmadon will be the one to bring us doom."

"... Fair, but we're not leaving him alone."

"Exactly. You think Cole will be okay watching him all by himself? I mean, he seemed pretty pale..." Jay rubbed his arm, which soon got stopped by Kai's hand on his own.

"Don't worry, bro. At least we have some time to bond, right? We haven't exactly gotten along that well. Just let me talk for once, too, okay?"

Jay gave a nervous chuckle, shifting his hand to properly hold Kai's. "No promises..." Why did both Kai and Cole seem so nice all of a sudden?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow over 3500 words  
> almost forgot to write on sunday whoops  
> but either way its a lot more than i usually do  
> also here is a link to my tumblr post where i posted a quick drawing a made bc why not  
> http://estonian-fandom-trash.tumblr.com/post/170504258898/the-three-gods-chapter-3


	4. Two Single Hearts On Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we learn a bit more about garmadon ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummmm a lot of guilt, a bit of self-degradation, garmie's kinda starving himself?? idk he just doesnt want to eat bc he doesn't deserve it, he thinks  
> mention of death

Garmadon struggled to wake himself up in the morning, but when he finally did, he didn't open his eyes. Everything hurt from yesterday's loss of control, not to mention that he didn't want to face everyone. What did he say this time? Did he hurt the others?

The smell of food was so tempting, but he knew he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve any of these people being so nice to him. He could tell that he'd been pretty much tucked in, and there was quiet talking in the other side of the trailer. Having been born only to follow rules, though, resulted in good self-control. So, he sat up, cringing at his own stomach giving a loud rumble. He hadn't eaten since the lunch he'd had with the others the day prior.

Cole, from beside him, gave soft, nervous chuckle. "You okay, buddy...? Gave us quite a scare... Food should still be warm, want me to bring it to you?"

Garmadon shook his head slightly. Always the same lie, always the same pictures in his head. "I'd hurt to eat so soon after waking up, especially after a fit. I'll eat later. Promise."

"Alright... I'll make sure of it, though. We read the book, and... We kind of know how to be prepared for it, now. So at least that's good..."

"Was I too bad?"

Cole blinked in surprise, then shook his head. "You were good. You warned us, you told us to keep you back, and you fought against it. The venom, though, is terrible. Was terrible during the fit. You aren't the same as the venom. Don't even think about being the same."

Garmadon smiled briefly, laying back down carefully. "That's what my spouse always told me, too..."

"Oh? Was she nice?" Cole shifted in his chair, brushing a hand through his hair.

There was a brief pause, then Garmadon laughed in a timid manner. "Well... _He_ was amazing. He understood me, and he supported me, no matter what. And even when he didn't understand, he just went with it, because he just cared so much. He knew what I was going through, and he didn't push me any lengths. He's somewhere out there, I know it, and I want to find him. He said he'll be out of the True God's reach so Lloyd wouldn't be harmed, and I can only assume he means Birchwood Forest. That's where I'm headed. That's Treehorn territory, and not even He can do anything about them."

"Oh, wow. You open up fast," Cole laughed softly, and Garmadon looked away slightly. "Not that it's a bad thing."

"That was just a tiny snippet of a paragraph of a chapter of the story of my family. But really, he's incredible. He'd love to meet you."

"And I would love to meet him, too. But... Why exactly are you running from the True God?"

"He's not exactly what he seems to be. I don't want to tell you exactly what he does, but... It's bad. I just hope you won't have to see it. And life forbid you have to go through it!"

"Youch. That bad?"

"Worse. I've seen people go mad with one single day of his punishments. And he has millions of them. Not even punishment, just... Ways to torture someone."

"... Have you been through it...?"

"Of course not! Well, actually, the easy ones. Turning into a Taken God, the venom, and a few other ones for foul language or forgetting to do chores. He's pretty strict. But... He isn't actually a bad person. He just wants people to realize that they've done something wrong."

"Wha- You just said He's a terrible person!"

"... I have conflicted feelings about Him."

"Fair enough..."

* * *

"Are you sure the forest is that way?" Jay asked for what seems is the hundredth time.

Garmadon nodded again, checking the map and compass. "Yup. And Red Town is just a little away. We're almost there, I promise. Last push, then we can rest. And a friend of mine lives there, so she can give us some of her amazing food."

"I sure hope so! How much more left?"

"I dunno, honestly. But not much."

"If you say so..."

"See? It's just down from here!" Garmadon announced as soon as he could see down the hill they'd gone up.

"Oh no, is this some sort of Kai fanbase? I mean, sure, it's called Red Town, but _everything_ is red. Even the ground!" Jay huffed, crossing his arms. This was not fun.

"I wish, but I think I'd know if I had a fanbase," Kai snorted softly.

"Jay, aren't you part of his fanbase? Judging by the way you were looking at him yesterday, I'd say you're pretty into him." Cole's smug smile was quickly wiped off as Jay reached up to give him a smack.

"Oh, come on, guys, play nice. Or I'm leaving all of you behind." Garmadon put the map and compass back into Cole's backpack as he said that. No need for those again for a while.

"Nooooo, that's not fair!" Jay quickly clung to his arm with an exaggerated pout. "You wouldn't leave such an adorable kid alone with those animals, would you?"

"... Mm, fair. That would be animal abuse."

"Fuck you!"

* * *

Garmadon knocked on the dirty, dark red door, then stepped back a bit, waiting for it to open. It took a while, and then it finally opened. A cat ran through and Garmadon swore Cole squealed as he looked after it. Though, to be fair, it was a cute one.

The woman that greeted them seemed kind, and was about the same age as themselves (apart from Garmadon). She had beautiful red hair, and she was wearing... Orange, in slight contrast to the red all around. "Oh, hello!"

But she wasn't who Garmadon had been expecting. "Hi. Would Lily happen to live here, still?"

The lady's expression saddened, and she closed up a bit. "I'm sorry, my mother recently passed away..."

Garmadon didn't seem too affected by that. Of course, after living for two thousand years, he's seen so many deaths, lost so many close friends. "Oh, I apologize... But you're Skylor, no? She told me about you a lot. You look... Oddly quite a bit like your father."

The girl gave an awkward chuckle, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "Yes, I do get told that... Would you maybe want to come in...? I was just going to make some... Whatever, it's too early for dinner but too late for lunch."

"It would be nice, thank you."

"Of course. Come on in," Skylor moved to make room for them. The house wasn't too small - but definitely too much for just two people. "Sorry, but, uh- My father has strict rules. Shoes off in the house. He hates cleaning. Not that he ever does any of it, he just hires maids."

"Of course, of course." Garmadon nodded, quickly taking them off. After a moment, the others did so as well. Cole couldn't help but snort at Jay's socks, which had little monsters on them. Leave it to Jay to have childish clothes. He was way too cute!

"Father isn't home right now, but- Careful...!" Skylor somewhat managed to keep Kai from walking straight into a door. He'd been distracted for a while, now. Not that anyone could blame him. The heat was a bit much here, and since Kai was a Taken Fire God, that meant he would feel the heat a lot more intensely than anyone else. He'd even wrapped a cold towel around his head in an effort to keep himself from overheating. Around the hill was fine, but in the populated area, it was much hotter.

Either that, or he couldn't stop thinking about one thing. 'Jay is into me?'

 

 


	5. Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we see who Garmadon has been looking for  
> and who jay is leaning towards ;)  
> so this is p much just me putting in ships to get more readers please love me  
> also julien and zane so

"Come on, just a little more! Please, it's almost nighttime and I wanna get there before they're asleep!" Garmadon aggressively pulled on Cole's arm, trying to get him to pick up the pace. With a soft chuckle, Cole pulled on Kai, who in turn held on to Jay. Thus, it was a small train with Garmadon leading the way. This place seemed abandoned, so Kai was a bit pessimistic about this, but kept on smiling in hopes that Garmadon wouldn't get disappointed.

"It's right here, almost!"

"I can find it, just hold on!"

"Have a bit of patience, we'll be there in bit!"

This went on for a while as the group tried to search for a much thicker birch tree. Garmadon never gave up hope, knowing it was hard to find since it was so far into the forest. Finally, they came upon a gigantic robot, and they tried to sneak around it - something they were all very good at. Well, almost all of them, but that didn't mean Cole couldn't do it just once. This machine acted on sight rather than sound, so all Cole had to do was hide behind it.

Soon enough, the group was by the treehouse, and Garmadon wasted no time opening the door with a key card. It opened with a soft hiss and nice, warm air came rushing out. Not taking any time to enjoy the warmth, Garmadon went running down the stairs. "I'm here, I'm finally here!"

By the sound of it, someone was very excited to see him, too. Hesitantly, Kai, Jay and Cole started moving down the stairs. There was a small boy jumping excitedly at the bottom of the staircase, aged eight at most, and he got picked up and attacked with small kisses to his cheeks and forehead as soon as Garmadon reached him. The blond was giggling through tears, not willing to tell Garmadon to stop, no matter how many times he got pecked.

"Oh gosh, I missed you so much, Lloyd, I promise, I'll never leave again," Garmadon announced softly, holding the kid close to his chest.

"So, no introduction? Well, that's rude!" Jay huffed, crossing his arms as he reached the bottom of the stairs. His feet were numb from cold, so he just plopped down on the second stair from the bottom.

"Oh, shush, I'm having a reunion," Garmadon murmured softly. Moving on, he quickly hugged someone sitting on one of the chairs and crying from clear happiness. Lloyd almost got squished between them, but he didn't seem to mind.They all seemed so happy, it was amazing. Though, it was unclear who these people were to him, but that didn't really matter.

Well, at least one thing got cleared up as Garmadon set Lloyd down, pressing an almost scared kiss to the noirette's lips, as if he would break at the slightest of touch.

"I missed you so, so much..." the noirette whispered softly, smiling as Garmadon gently wiped the tears away.

"I missed you, too..." Garmadon leaned their foreheads together. "Where are Zane and Julien...? It's been so long since I last saw them..."

"They'll be back in a bit, just gathering more firewood... Little Rose needs her warmth..."

"Is that what you named her...?"

"Yeah... She'll be just like you, I can tell."

"Gosh, Clouse, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Garmadon grinned softly, a new wave of tears emerging.

"It's okay, you can cry now... Just try to be quiet, okay...? Rose is asleep and she gets sad when she can't sleep well," Clouse murmured softly, bringing Garmadon down into a gentle hug.

"Of course, love, of course..." There was a long silence of Kai, Cole and Jay just standing/sitting there awkwardly as the family hugged and cried it out. Finally, Garmadon moved back and turned to the other three still by the staircase. "Sorry... I got overwhelmed..."

"It's fine, dude! But I have to admit, an introduction now would be good," Jay grinned softly. He stood, moving closer. The little blond by Garmadon's side timidly moved half-way behind Garmadon, and then reached a hand out to Jay. The latter shook it gently, kneeling down with a friendly smile. "Lloyd, right? I'm Jay!"

Lloyd smiled softly, but didn't move away from Garmadon. "Yeah, I'm Lloyd... You wanna go play...?"

Well, he sure warmed up quick. Jay nodded oddly eagerly, his grin widening. "Mhm! Do you have toys? Or do you wanna go play outside? I'll drag Kai and Cole outside, too, and we can team up and we can beat them easily!"

"Um, maybe we can just play with my dolls..." Lloyd shrugged. Kai raised an eyebrow, since Lloyd didn't seem like one to play with dolls - he seemed like a more energetic type, but whatever. "Okay! Do you have names for your dolls?" Jay stood as Lloyd started leading him to his playing corner.

"Mhm! I have Griffin, and Chamille, and their daddies are Neuro and Shade. They all love each other very much, and dad said I can get a new girl soon and she will love Griffin and Tox but she won't know who to choose. Aunt Misa said that things like that can happen!"

"I'm sure she'll know soon enough. What will her name be?" "Tox! She'll be a Taking God, but she'll be nice, and she will have poison powers! Everyone else are Taken Gods, and they all have powers too."

"Mm... That's cool and all, but why dream about Taking Gods when there is one right here?"

Lloyd turned to Jay with a grin, "Oh! Zane is a Taking God, too. Or, well, kind of. He would be if he wasn't a robot. He's really kind!"

"And here I was hoping to brag with my boyfriend," Jay pouted slightly.

Kai almost choked on his own spit at that. Cole sent him a slight glare. Was it really that big of a deal?

"So you two _did_ hook up, huh?" Garmadon raised an eyebrow smugly. By now, he had Clouse sitting comfortably on his lap. It wasn't anything awkward, though. No, it was cute as all hell.

"I mean, you let us sleep in one room for a reason, after all," Jay shrugged, then turned back to start playing with Lloyd. Jay was surprised by how comfortable he was with playing the only girl. For once, he could let go when doing things that were usually considered feminine.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yeah, kinda," Cole shrugged. "You're a good matchmaker, but not so subtle at it."

"Darn, I've been caught."

"As if you didn't intend that."

The laughter that followed was the sweetest thing Clouse had heard in what felt like years. And the comfortable silence after that was just heavenly...

* * *

"I'm just Zane," the pale blond shrugged, and Julien - a kind, intelligent elderly man - chuckled from beside him. "Uh, it was a weird decision on my part. I was going to change it, but it stuck. It stands for Zesty Automated Nindroid Experiment. He was supposed to just be someone to cheer me up, but besides happiness, he seems to have completely human emotions."

"Wow... That's a clever name, and it really works. I, for one, love it!" Jay grinned, plopping down on Cole's lap, the latter giving a soft yelp.

"Well, I'm still open to suggestions for any better names. It'll be easy to program him to respond to another name."

"Noooo, don't change it! It's unique, and he's unique, so it really fits! And he's a mechanical masterpiece! A droid that's like a human, almost exactly replicating actual emotions. My parents tried to make something like that for years, and they're some of the best inventors ever, and they never actually managed it. You're an absolute genius! Can you teach me? I mean, I know a lot, but not a /lot/ lot. I can do easy stuff, but nothing too extreme. Well, yeah, I never had any good supplies, but then again, a real inventor never really needs them if they're creative enough."

Julien laughed softly, scratching the back of his head. "I can try to teach you, but I don't know how well I can do. I'm an inventor, not a teacher. I just hope I'll be able to do at least something to help you."

"Yes! Ma and dad will be really happy if I learn something new and tell them about it!"

"I'm happy I can help people, at least. But for now, let's all get some rest, if that's alright. Zane needs charging, and I bet you all had a hard trip. I'll get some places set up for you, don't worry."

"Thank you so much! You're amazing!"


	6. Your Daddy Sounds Like A Jerk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jay and clouse are my gay trans boys and youll have to kill me to take them from me  
> kai is annoyed with everyone and everything help him  
> we see where wu is and what the true god does to anyone who disobeys his rules  
> WARNINGS: MENTION OF RAPE. (this happening in the last cut. not graphic, i think. i hope)

Since there weren't many beds in the treehouse, everyone had to be closely cuddled together. Jay didn't mind, of course, but instead of sharing a bed with Cole or even Kai, he had to be next to Lloyd, since the latter's bed was quite small, making Jay the only one to really fit there. Garmadon managed to fit in Clouse's bed, while Kai and Cole had to force themselves onto an inflatable mattress in the main room with Zane just... There. He didn't need sleep, so he just sat there, doing absolutely nothing. It was creepy, needless to say.

Another problem; Kai didn't like Cole. Both of them had been trying to be with Jay, but for some reason (which Kai suspected was the difference in the amounts of Godly power they had) Cole had come out on top. Jay hadn't even said he'd been choosing or anything. Up until that point, he'd seemed pretty oblivious. Cole must have some hypnosis on him, because it didn't seem natural. He was too kind to be real, too. It was way too suspicious.

And at 1AM, another problem surfaced. Rose was a loud baby, apparently. Clouse was quick to get up, of course, already used to this, but it was annoying nonetheless.

Kai stole Cole's pillow (who didn't wake up from that OR the screaming!) and forced it to cover his own head, trying to muffle at least some of the noise. Rose kept crying and Clouse's efforts to get her to quiet down were pretty much ignored. He went around, trying to feed her from a bottle, or giving her some toys, or changing her, or anything he could think of. She didn't even like it when he sang to her. What kind of baby was this?

She only quieted down once Julien came to rescue, oddly enough. Well, he was a kind, gentle man, so it wasn't _that_ much of a surprise, but still! Kai wanted to really thank the True God for the sweet silence. Julien and Clouse finally went to the room they slept in, trying to get Rose to sleep.

Garmadon had remained in bed, knowing that he wouldn't be of much help. Not to mention that he needed to calm down from a nightmare the little girl thankfully saved him from. Clouse took notice of his stillness once he came back to bed.

"You okay...?" Clouse carefully got into bed, crawling under the blanket. Garmadon shuddered slightly from the chill, turning onto his side.

"Bad dream..." said Garmadon, timidly wrapping his arms around Clouse, as if he would disappear or break at any moment.

"Tell me...?"

"Matsuka again... Number thirteen..."

Clouse buried his face in Garmadon's neck. "I won't let him do that to you again, you know that..."

"I know, love... You never fail me..."

"And I intend on keeping it that way, too. You deserve it, after all." Clouse shifted, pushing Garmadon onto his back and hovering over him for a moment before laying down on his chest.

Garmadon combed his fingers through Clouse's hair, a small smile tugging on his lips. "You're so amazing... I can't believe how stupid we were at Chen's..."

"I mean, in my defense, you were the stupid one, I was under a spell."

Clouse then yelped quietly as he got pushed off the bed.

* * *

"Man, these two just can't get closer, can they?" Jay snorted as Lloyd nodded, sticking his tongue out to his parents. Garmadon and Clouse were pretty much cuddling even while they were making breakfast.

Kai and Cole were still asleep, so Jay had no one to talk with except for Lloyd and Zane. And no, Zane wasn't really an option. So, Lloyd would do. He was a cute kid, though. A little mean sometimes, but nothing too bad.

"I don't remember much about pap, but dad has always been very close. He's cool, though, and he makes a lot of funny jokes," Lloyd turned back to his dolls, handing one to Jay.

"Well, I don't know, it seems like you're the cool and funny one here," Jay grinned softly, ruffling the blond hair for a moment before his hand got swatted away with a whine.

"No one messes up my hair!" Lloyd pouted up at Jay, crossing his arms.

"Now you just sound like Kai."

"Ew! No! I'm not _that_ protective about my hair! Kai's gross, he's like a gir- Eugh!"

Pillows had a lot more force on them than Jay would've thought, especially when they get thrown at a kid, by a blacksmith. Kai was strong, Jay knew that (by the multiple times he'd been carried). However, that didn't give him an excuse to hurt a kid.

"Hey! He could've gotten hurt!" Jay stood, holding the doll to his chest.

Kai glared up at Jay. "Well, he hurt my feelings, so we're even."

"Getting called a girl isn't bad! Girls are awesome, and strong, and beautiful, and so are you, so you're like a girl!" Jay stomped his foot on the ground, right in front of Kai's face. Kai's eyes forced themselves shut automatically.

"What if I call _you_ a girl, then, hmm?!"

"Then I'll take it, and I have the parts to prove it!" Jay's chin went up proudly. Clouse cheered at that, which made Garmadon almost cut into his finger due to the surprise.

"You have what now?"

"I'm trans, Kai."

"... Fuck."

"Language! There's a fucking kid here!"

" _You just swore too!_ "

Garmadon had to leave the room to calm down from laughter. This entire situation was just too good.

* * *

Matsuka gripped Wu's chin harshly, grinning like the madman he was. "You've healed? Great. Because you still have half your punishment to receive."

Wu didn't have the courage to look his father in the eye, but he could already hear the man getting mad. His breathing always changed, then. Deep, quiet breaths, almost impossible to hear, but Wu was used to it. Another hand dragged across his back, then a knife went the same exact line. It only cut his shirt, not skin. The young man failed to resist a flinch, but thankfully the knife was pulled away.

"Now, now, look at me. You'll find comfort in your old man's eyes, won't you?" Matsuka sounded so kind, so trustworthy. Wu felt his eyes open, but he knew it was only a spell. A few more cuts, and the fabric that was once his shirt fell from his torso in short strips of cloth. The knife took his sweatpants on next.

Punishment number thirteen, the most usual one that Matsuka gave - the one he loved to give (mostly to his own family, the sick fuck) - was exactly was Wu hated the most, and what he was getting. Who knew the True God fantasized about rape?

Garmadon knew it best, of course. Why did he have to get a happy ending? He escaped, and no one knew how. Matsuka could do anything, but capturing his own son seemed to be impossible. Maybe he would help? Probably not. Happy endings were only for the main characters.

Right?


	7. when I wake I won't be so exhausted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garmadon loves his family and I love Garmadon so I'm letting him off easy this time because I've tortured him enough already.  
> Title from Pernilla by Icon For Hire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead but I have no motivation. However, I decided that I should try to finish at least this chapter. Who knows, maybe I'll finish the entire fic if I get some comments ;)

"Someone has to beat him, Garmadon. If we manage to gather all the Gods, we can win. It's our only chance." Clouse slowly dragged his hand across the wooden table, covering Garmadon's own with it. The brunette shook his head, sighing.

"It'll be too difficult. No one would believe us. I've tried. Paleman doesn't want to listen, Bolobo only wants to look out for himself, Karloff almost attacked me, Jacob only mocked me."

"But Jay brought the book. We can prove it to them with it," Clouse stood slowly, keeping his arms behind his back as he moved over to Jay's bag, mostly full because of the gigantic book he held in it. Fishing the item out of the bag, he walked back to Garmadon.

"There are spells in it, too, if you want to practice," Garmadon murmured, flipping to the very end of the book, though there had to be at least twenty pages full of tiny text left.

Clouse briefly scanned over the witchcraft, then closed the book. "This book could get us so much. Allies, magic, knowledge, strength. With this, we have a chance."

"Do we? Or will Matsuka manage to capture us? I don't want that to happen. We need to escape to the Dark Island. Not even the Overlord will be as dangerous."

Clouse narrowed his eyes, slamming his hands on the table as he stood. Garmadon didn't flinch.

"We're going to fight! People can't just live like this, captured without even realizing it! Matsuka is growing stronger, he could soon take over the Dark Island as well! We need to save everyone, and don't push your venom stuff here, because I know you can fight that, too! You're stronger than you think, and I want my children to grow up in peace and safety!" Clouse took a deep breath before sitting back down. "I just want Matsuka to fall. He needs to be taught a lesson."

"I know, love. I understand. But we don't know what Matsuka can do. We need to get Wu first. He knows what sort of things He is capable of." Garmadon kept his eyes on Clouse's as he spoke, then he opened up the book again. The third to last page, fifth spell. "Creating a portal would be our best shot, no?"

"This says that I could keep it open for fifteen minutes without passing out."

"And that's enough time if Cole helps. His super strength would come in handy when breaking the chains, after all."

"I hate it when you get dangerous plans..."

* * *

"We will come back as soon as we can, you just wait. And just in case, have some towels, bandages and painkillers ready. We don't know how Matsuka has been treating him," Garmadon instructed in a soft voice. He seemed so confident, which was odd for him. Cole stood beside him, arms crossed and ready for Clouse to open the portal, though he still couldn't quite trust him. He seemed sketchy.

"What if you don't come back?" Lloyd asked quietly, now clinging to Garmadon's hand. The latter moved into a squatting position, running his free hand through the golden locks.

"We will. And if fifteen minutes is too little time, Clouse will open another portal tomorrow while we hide. It's all going to be perfectly fine. I have everything thought out. Cole and I will protect each other," Garmadon murmured, his lips in a sweet smile. As he finished what he said, he pressed a gentle kiss to Lloyd's forehead. "I will be back with your uncle."

"Okay... I trust you..." Lloyd nodded, giving Garmadon a brief hug before moving away. Clouse was given a nod from Garmadon as the latter stood, and Clouse started chanting in an ancient language only he and Garmadon could even begin to understand.

Winds started picking up as purple aura emitted from Clouse's hands and formed a swirling shape a few meters in front of him. When the chanting ended, a dark violet entrance opened, spreading wide enough for Garmadon and Cole to go through. As soon as it was wide enough, Garmadon pulled Cole in. The portal stayed open, since Clouse wouldn't have enough energy to open two portals in a single day. Maybe later on he would be strong enough. But for now, he just had to keep it open for as long as he could.

* * *

It wasn't too difficult for Garmadon to locate where they were and where the bedrooms were. He started running as soon as he could, dragging Cole along as he did. Left, right, left, straight, right, there!

Garmadon pulled out a ring of keys Cole hadn't even known he had, unlocking the door to Wu's room. Alarms started ringing as soon as Garmadon pushed open the door, making Cole realize exactly why he was here.

Garmadon quickly ordered Cole to put up walls behind the door, which the latter gladly did. Strong, sturdy walls came up, blocking anyone from getting in or out. Garmadon ran into the room and moved up to the bed, murmuring comforting words to the shaking blond under the soft blankets.

"We have to get going before the portal closes," Cole reminded Garmadon carefully. Garmadon nodded as he gently scooped his brother into his arms, not caring to untangle Wu from the blanket. It was probably best to not take it off, anyways.

"Care to make a short cut?" Garmadon nodded towards one of the walls. Cole stomped on the ground, not only making the floor shake, but creating an opening on the wall. That hallway was empty, so they shot through and sprinted off, Cole making sure Garmadon could keep pace with him.

It was such a simple plan, it was easy to get back through the portal. No one was even chasing them! Though it seemed too good to be true, it was fine for now. The portal closed and Garmadon was holding Wu close, quietly calming him down.

It took hours for Wu to relax enough to get some rest.

* * *

The next month was uneventful. Cole, Zane, Kai, Jay and Garmadon worked on getting another base so that it wasn't such a tight living. Though, it took far longer than anticipated. Eventually, it was decided that they would build a tree house on the large birch, higher up. They used Zane's ice and Cole's earth to get high enough. Zane calculated that if they keep going at this speed, it will be finished three months later.

It was fine, though. Everyone was safe. It was cramped, but they managed to get into a routine. Wu was slowly opening up, though he was still mainly quiet. He sometimes helped with building, now, but Garmadon was spoiling him. Clouse pointed that out, but the brunette just shrugged.

Two months passed, and the miracle melting snow became apparent. It didn't happen naturally, of course, but every once in a while, the snow melted and it was warm for a month. Garmadon was told it was the fairies' doing.

"Dad?" Lloyd tugged on Garmadon's sleeve. It was crazy how the latter still wore a jacket in this heat.

Garmadon lightly ruffled Lloyd's hair, smiling. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Do fairies have tails?"

Garmadon hummed, thinking about the question for a while. "I don't know. I've never seen one. But why don't you tell me when you see one? I was always told that they reveal themselves only when a pure soul is alone."

"Then you gotta promise that you'll stay alive until then! Or I won't have anyone to tell it to!" Lloyd held his hand out, his hand fisted except for his pinkie finger. Garmadon linked his own pinkie with Lloyd's, nodding. "Of course! I won't leave you alone with such a secret. But now tell me what I get for it."

Lloyd grinned, spreading his arms as wide as he could. "Thiiiiiiiiiiis much love! And more!"

He giggled as Garmadon picked him up and spun him around, laughing as he pecked all over Lloyd's cheeks. "It's a deal!"

* * *

A few more months passed without conflict. It felt horrible to not have defeated the True God, but it was difficult to get all the other Gods gathered up. No one, so far, had joined. No one wanted to face the consequences, since they all believed that it would be impossible to win. No one lost hope, though, as Wu started getting louder as time went on.

By now, the tree house was ready, now a living space for Jay and Cole. There was only room for so much. Though, it was very well built, and kept the cold out. There was also a small heater. It was a nice, cozy place. And thankfully, no one had to listen to their giggling at night anymore. Though, as Kai was growing closer to Lloyd, the two often played together since Lloyd constantly refused to go to sleep, which of course made the giggling return.

Garmadon considered throwing the two up there, as well. He was glad that Kai was such a good big brother figure, but gosh, he wanted to sleep for once. When the two decided to have a sleepover in the tree house, due to Lloyd demanding it for a week straight, Garmadon was glad to finally get more than a few hours of sleep. He had good dreams, for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know shits gonna go down if a character promises not to die  
> and im so not sorry for referencing fairy tail screw you


End file.
